I am sorry guys...the team, at least coaching wise, went into a shell in the 2nd half. They played not to lose - simple as that. I was confident that we were prepared and would would win - I still stand on that. The play calling in the second half gave us no chance to keep the lead, period. Where were the wrinkle plays that we were holding? I think Franklin saw a win in the Shoe by holding a touchdown lead...they simply didn't play aggressive enough to win. Until we decide to play a full game at the level we are capable, this will happen.Not much more to say than, we now do not control our fate. I think that bothers me even more than a loss. I can't see tOSU losing to any of the teams left. We must win out and get whatever bowl they plop us in...takes the incentive level way down for any post season play, sorry but it does. Best case scenario is tOSU loses to anyone before the B10 Championship game and then we have a shot. We must win big in all the final games. A 1pt loss will (choking on this) help us in that case.I think Wisky isn't anywhere the team tOSU and we are...I think either can beat them in the B10 Championship game...we lost at the worst time but I am pretty confident that the next 4 teams will pay for what happened Sat.This team learned a valuable lesson about leaving someone hang around...I am just hoping the coaching staff learned it too. It can't happen again, we are a great football team...we proved that Sat and have all season, we have a tremendous amount to play for and who knows maybe an outside shot of still getting in. Either way, we must beat the 4 teams left and beat them bad (it's what got tOSU the recognition that made them viable going into Sat.) we can do the same.

Blue&White wrote:Franklin was definitely channeling his inner Joe Paterno in the 2nd half. Like I said earlier - that was really frustrating.

As for your co-worker, I hate that guy, too. I think we all do. Screw him.

Mrs. Spackler said something similar B&W. I said Joe Lives. How many times have we seen this before. Get ahead and then sit on it and hope your defense can go into a prevent zone and hold a lead. Losing #97 hurt bad on the second play of the game as did losing our left tackle on offense later on but going completely conservative in the second half of the fourth quarter is sad. Franklin was the one talking about having a killer instinct, keeping the foot on the gas pedal and not doing what we did in the Rose Bowl and the end of this game too.

But I still support the team and the staff. The team did its best to gain a win and nearly did despite being overwhelmed on the offensive line and not getting to the QB on defense in the second half. Seemed like we were gassed much of the second half, a hang over from the Michigan game? I don't know. Mrs. Spackler was disgusted at running the ball three times at the end in what appeared an attempt to kill the clock which did not succeed.

Mrs. Spackler's one supervisor, a big buckeye fan told her she was secretly rooting for PSU. She seems to have had an epiphany about the sanctions not impacting anyone who was guilty of the Jerry issue but instead penalizing a bunch of young men who were barely toddlers when it was going on. Prior to the game only the most arrogant buckeyes were being themselves, the rest were scared and rightly so. Our best is still in the future imo and if our best is yet to come its going to be pretty good.

So I got that going for me...which is nice.It's a cross between Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent and Northern California Sensimilla so you can play 36 holes on it,take it home at night and get stoned to the begesses belt

The injuries certainly hurt us. Hard to say how much, exactly, but I thought we really missed Buchholz.

What killed us, and really cost us the game, was that blocked punt. Blocked punts happen, but the OSU player ran in without anyone touching him. That should never happen.

The Oline's inability to open a hole up the middle haunted us as well. Barkley had trouble moving and every time he took the ball OSU was in the backfield. That wasn't his fault, it was on the line.

OSU is a good team, but that was a very winnable game. Would have, should have, could have .... didn't.

Still been a great season. It's one loss. Hopefully they can run the rest of the table. We knew the 3 game stretch of UM, OSU, MSU was going to be tough. let's beat Michigan State and get things back on track.

It would be nice to see OSU and UM have gauntlets to run like we do this year and will again several years in the future.

So I got that going for me...which is nice.It's a cross between Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent and Northern California Sensimilla so you can play 36 holes on it,take it home at night and get stoned to the begesses belt

Blue&White wrote:The Oline's inability to open a hole up the middle haunted us as well. Barkley had trouble moving and every time he took the ball OSU was in the backfield. That wasn't his fault, it was on the line.

The understatement of the season. Take out Barkley's 36 yard TD run and he had 8, yes you read that correctly 8 yards on 20 carries. That's just ridiculous.

O-line has been an issue since...(you fill in the blank). I am assuming we will see Barkley get the ball in space this week and some direct snaps. Compensating for the O-line has been our weakness but it's something we just have to try to overcome and win out.